On Thursday, the eight teams across The Hundred Women’s Competition confirmed a number of new overseas signings, which include five superstars from India. The India eves who will be featuring in the inaugural “The Hundred”, which kick starts on July 21 at the Kia Oval are Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Shafali Verma.
Shafali Verma: The No.1 ranked T20 batter in the world will replace New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine at Birmingham Phoenix. Due to logistical difficulties thrown up by COVID-19, Devine has opted out of the competition to concentrate on preparing for international cricket, with eves on the ICC Women’s World Cup scheduled in February 2022 in her own backyard.
Harmanpreet Kaur: The India T20I captain will play for Manchester Originals. The 32-year old is a class act and has the reputation of clearing the boundary with ease. She will look to make the most of the opportunity that is presented to her.
Smriti Mandhana: The stylish southpaw will represent Southern Brave. The swashbuckling opener is pleasing to the eyes and is a treat to watch when she is on a song.
Deepti Sharma: The talented all-rounder will play for London Spirit. Her contributions with bat and ball for the Indian team have been immense in the recent past.
Jemimah Rodrigues: The talented top-order bat will represent Northern Superchargers. She has all the shots in the book and has the ability to pace her innings well.
Beth Barrett-Wild, Head of The Hundred Women’s Competition, said: “It’s so good to finally be able to confirm the involvement of some of the superstars from the India team. They’re a hugely exciting group of players and they’ll bring a lot to the competition. I can’t wait for July 21, I can’t wait for the whole competition, and I can’t wait for fans to see these world-class players doing what they do best.”
Manchester Originals batter Harmanpreet Kaur said: “It’s very exciting that I’m going to get to play in the first-ever game of The Hundred. It will be special to make history, especially with a women’s match on such a big ground. We’ve played in front of some large crowds in India and it’s always a great experience for the players.”
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.